..A wide array of genes have been tested to restore insulin production, to drive the differentiation of insulin-producing progenitors, and to confer immunosuppression in an antigen- and tissue-restricted manner...

..The involvement of the sorbitol pathway in complications has provided mechanistic insights into the biochemistry of complications and the key enzyme, aldose reductase, has become an attractive pharmacologic target...

Gene therapy for type 1 diabetes: a proposal to move to the next level

..BioStratum is developing pyridoxamine (Pyridorin), an advanced glycation end-product (AGE) inhibitor, for the potential prevention of diabetic nephropathy. By January 2004, phase II trials had been completed...

..Fidarestat is an aldose reductase inhibitor being co-developed by Sanwa Kagaku, NC Curex (a joint venture company created by Japan Energy and Kaken) and Sankyo, for the potential treatment of diabetic neuropathy...

Current status and prospects for gene and cell therapeutics for type 1 diabetes mellitus

..In January 2002 the second phase III trial, of exenatide in conjunction with sulfonylureas, was initiated and in March 2002, Amylin initiated the third phase III trial, of exenatide in combination with metformin and sulfonylureas...

..In this review, we attempt to illustrate pivotal studies demonstrating the suitability of genes and cells as drugs in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and also provide some other targets that may be suitable for clinical utility...

..This study was aimed at ascertaining the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotide-formulated microspheres to prevent type 1 diabetes and to reverse new-onset disease...

Renal diseases as targets of gene therapy

Brett PhillipsDivision of Immunogenetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USAContrib Nephrol 159:1-12. 2008

..While continued research and clinical trials are needed to identify a robust system of gene delivery, gene therapy techniques have great potential to treat kidney disease at the cellular level and improve patient quality of life...